Filling the Void
by Iris Amergin
Summary: Zhuge Liang's death leaves Jiang Wei uncertain of his place in the Shu kingdom...and determined to live up to his predecessor's reputation. Zhao Yun x Jiang Wei.
1. The Sleeping Dragon's Fall

_Author's Note: Well...it's a first chapter. Whee. I'm doing my best to give Zhao Yun/Jiang Wei more support than "wow, they're both so hot!" But of course, building up that kind of relationship takes time...so if you saw "Zhao Yun/Jiang Wei" in the summary and went "OMG YAY!" and read this story, and are wondering where the hell the shounen-ai is...well...it's coming. But not yet. Gotta have some background, ne?_

_Anyway. I've kind of messed around with canon...namely, the issue of Zhuge Liang. I borrowed his fate from the novel Dynasty Warriors is based on, but mostly I'm sticking to the way the game handles things (so Liu Bei is still alive at this point, everyone has their in-game ages rather than their historical ones, et cetera). Think of it as throwing the game, a pinch of the book, and some artistic license into a blender and pressing the "on" button. Don't take it seriously and get a heart attack and flame me for not following everything to the letter. I still respect canon, even if I've decided to set some parts aside._

_Enough of my rambling, anyway. On to the fic!_

**Filling the Void**
by Iris Amergin

_Chapter One: The Sleeping Dragon's Fall_

Silence.

It had long been a constant in Jiang Wei's life, no matter what its type. The silence of an empty room, when he pursued his studies or planned his strategies alone by candlelight. The silence that too often came when he gave orders or recommendations to another officer, the silence that accompanied a skeptical look, the silence that would not come at all were the officers not too disciplined to voice their thoughts--thoughts Jiang Wei had learned, eventually, not to resent, for how could any sane commander not question the orders of someone so young and inexperienced, even if he _was_ renowned as the prodigy of Tian Shui?

The silence of that same empty room after the first time he gave his orders and was met with uncertain stares, after he dismissed the officers and retired, with sleep eluding him and his thoughts in chaos--a different silence than that of studying alone by night, for his evening ruminations were calm, focused. At peace. A silence not only of the environment, but of the heart. A stark contrast to that first time he had been left alone with his thoughts in turmoil, wondering _Why? Why don't they trust me? Why can't they understand that this will work?_

He had learned to shut out any animosity towards the officers, but he could never quell his confusion at their reluctance to put their faith in him--until that confusion was abruptly dispelled by a new silence--when the Shu general, Zhao Yun, calmly turned and withdrew after slaying Jiang Wei's second subofficer, Zhu Ling, and left the young strategist alone in a field littered with bodies. No further attack. No pursuit as Jiang Wei finally collected his senses and attempted to return to the fortress. And as he was welcomed back to the Wei encampment with a volley of arrows, Jiang Wei finally understood why the other officers had never trusted him. They had feared he would defect all along.

And in his anger at them for believing the worst of him, for turning their backs on him, Jiang Wei chose to confirm their fears and defect to Shu.

There was still silence, of course. But new kinds of silence. The silence of comrades who have exhausted all topics of conversation, who are content to merely relax quietly in each other's company. The silence that accompanied thoughtful looks, not skeptical, when he suggested a new strategy or a refinement to the current battle plans.

Most valuable to him, however, was the silence of mutual understanding, the silence that only came in discussions with his new teacher, Zhuge Liang. The silence that followed a moment of sudden understanding on Jiang Wei's part, as Kongming gave him that satisfied look that said _Now you see!_

That silence, however, would not be heard again. Not in his lifetime.

He sighed and leaned against a nearby tree, gazing at the plains. The last rays of the day's light were slowly fading from Wu Zhang, the sun setting below the horizon, bringing in the night.

Much as Zhuge Liang's sun was fading, giving way to his own night.

A new silence, that. The silence of despondency, of knowing that the only person he was comfortable with, who appreciated his worth, was soon to leave the mortal world.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a tap on his shoulder. Turning to face behind him, he saw Zhao Yun. "He's asked for you," the general said quietly.

Jiang Wei nodded slowly. "I understand." As Zhao Yun turned to return to camp, Jiang Wei added, "Zilong?"

Frowning, Zhao Yun glanced back. It was rare for Jiang Wei to address him by his style name; rare, in fact, for the deferential strategist to address him at all without any sort of honorific. "Yes?"

"Do you ever feel...alone?"

Zhao Yun took his time answering, fingering the hilt of his spear as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Finally, he responded.

"No. Not really."

"...I see. Never mind, then." Jiang Wei averted his eyes, avoiding Zhao Yun's gaze. "I'll be there in a minute."

Zhao Yun shrugged and walked away, and Jiang Wei was once again alone with his thoughts.

He stayed there for several seconds, seconds that felt like an eternity. But Zhuge Liang could not be kept waiting, and so finally he turned his back on the sunset and returned to camp.

Yue Ying was waiting for him outside her husband's tent. She nodded and pulled back the flap, allowing him to enter.

"Ah, Boyue," Zhuge Liang said tiredly as Jiang Wei slipped into the tent. "Have a seat."

Jiang Wei obliged, sitting beside the prime minister's bed and waiting patiently for him to speak again. Zhuge Liang pulled himself upward and sat a bit straighter, and Jiang Wei was amazed at the vitality he possessed even on his deathbed.

Then again, he had never known the prime minister to be anything but energetic. Zhuge Liang was constantly immersed in the affairs of the Shu kingdom; he handled everything from planning strategies for the war against Wei to double-checking agricultural reports from farms throughout the kingdom. Nothing escaped his attention, and Jiang Wei had long held the opinion--privately, of course; he preferred to respect his mentor by being discreet about it--that Zhuge Liang ran the risk of working himself to death.

But no matter how firmly entrenched his opinion, it could not prepare him for the reality of being right.

"I have something for you," said Zhuge Liang. He coughed and pointed at the desk set up in the corner of the tent. "The books there. Take them."

Jiang Wei rose and moved to the table, picking up the books and leafing through them. "Your Excellency, these are--"

"My own notes on strategy and the art of war, yes. In those papers, you will find all the information I have to impart on the Eight Principal Concerns, the Seven Precautions, the Six Dangers, and the Five Alerts. If you learn this information well, I see no reason why you should not be able to lead Shu to victory."

"But I'm not--"

"Silence, Boyue," Zhuge Liang replied, smiling weakly. "You are the only one I trust with this. Your abilities are far greater than you have given yourself credit for, and save your lack of self-confidence, there is nothing that should stand in your way."

"Y...Your Excellency is too kind."

"No, I merely speak the truth. But you need to learn to trust in yourself, or your commanders will not be able to place their own trust in you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," said Jiang Wei faintly. Zhuge Liang raised one eyebrow, and Jiang Wei repeated himself, his voice stronger. "Yes. I will not fail you."

"Good." Zhuge Liang settled himself against his pillow. "You have much potential, Jiang Wei. I leave Shu's future to you. Don't disappoint me."

"I won't." Jiang Wei bowed.

"But..."

"B-but, Your Excellency?"

"I have one last strategy I'd like you to carry out..."

**********

As Jiang Wei stepped out of the tent, the books clutched to his chest, he was once again greeted by silence. Yue Ying, Ma Chao, and Wei Yan were waiting for him, looking at him expectantly, saying nothing. The silence was uncomfortable, yet somehow...empowering. They were counting on him.

The battle was in his hands.

"Yue Ying," he said, his voice almost faltering. "His Excellency left me with certain instructions as to his...his body. He said you'd know what to do."

She nodded. "I understand." She disappeared into Zhuge Liang's tent.

"Ma Chao," Jiang Wei said, this time with more confidence. "I need you to speak to the troops. We will be executing a ploy to make the Wei army believe that His Excellency is still alive. There must be no mourning cries at all. Keep everything as close to normal as you possibly can." Ma Chao nodded and left, and Jiang Wei turned to Wei Yan. "Please find Zhao Yun for me, then prepare your troops for an ambush on the west side of the main road north of here. You must not attack Sima Yi's troops as they head south--we'll fight them off down here, and you'll attack them when they retreat."

As Wei Yan left, Jiang Wei sat on a rock by the closest campfire and sighed. For now, he had only to follow the last orders he had been left with...but then? Fighting for Wei had been different--he had to work to convince the other officers that his strategies would work, and they had always been skeptical, never expecting much from him. But here...the army believed in him. He had his mentor's reputation to live up to. And if he failed...

"Boyue?"

Startled, Jiang Wei looked up; Zhao Yun had arrived. "Oh...sorry. I was thinking," he said sheepishly. Zhao Yun merely shrugged and looked at him expectantly. Jiang Wei bit his lip. Giving orders like this was going to take some getting used to. "I have orders for you," he said hesitantly. "Can you...sit down for a moment?"

Zhao Yun nodded and perched himself on another rock. "What do you wish of me?"

Jiang Wei picked up a stick and began to scratch a crude map in the dirt. "His Excellency warned me that Sima Yi will almost certainly get wind of his condition, and come to take advantage of the situation. We're expecting a full-on attack by the Wei army, at this point." He indicated the center of the map. "Ma Chao is currently ordering the troops to refrain from mourning cries, and Yue Ying is working on making it appear that His Excellency is still alive. Hopefully, we can scare Sima Yi off with this deception."

He pointed at the map again, tracing from the Shu camp to the top of the map, where the Wei encampment was marked. "If Sima Yi reacts as we expect him to, he'll take the fastest escape route available and retreat along this path. That's where you come in."

Zhao Yun nodded. "An ambush."

"Exactly." Pointing to the sides of the road, Jiang Wei continued. "You are to take your forces and hide near the road, on the east side. Wei Yan will be posted on the west. Ma Chao, Yue Ying, and myself will remain here with the bulk of our forces. Once Sima Yi and his troops flee along this route, you and Wei Yan will surprise them and take out as many as possible." He brushed his hair out of his eyes and looked at Zhao Yun. "I don't know if it will be possible to get Sima Yi before he escapes--I can't say how many soldiers he'll have brought along. But if you can get him in the ambush, we may be able to win this battle in one stroke."

Zhao Yun smiled and fingered the hilt of his spear. "If it's even remotely possible, I'll bring Sima Yi's head to you on the blade of Fierce Dragon. When shall we move out?"

"Tonight would be best. I don't know how long Sima Yi will wait before attacking us here. He may move as soon as he determines His Excellency's condition, or he may wait and see first." Jiang Wei shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry I can't give you more information to go on."

"Don't worry about it, Boyue. Nobody expects you to have all the answers." Zhao Yun got up. "I'll go prepare the ambush."

"Thank you," said Jiang Wei, but Zhao Yun had already left. As he watched the warrior leave, he was struck by a thought.

Why had he given minimal instructions to Wei Yan, but taken the time to explain the plan and the reasoning behind it in depth to Zhao Yun?

He could think of a score of possible explanations, of course. Zhao Yun held a higher rank than Wei Yan, and should thus have the information available to change Wei Yan's orders if something went wrong. Wei Yan had not returned for the full explanation of the plan, but had merely sent Zhao Yun over without accompanying him. Wei Yan was a simple thinker and needed only to take orders, while Zhao Yun might have questions and should thus be given all the information at once.

But none of those reasons felt like an adequate explanation. He frowned, remembering how Zhuge Liang had never truly trusted Wei Yan. Could his mentor's bias be affecting his judgment, too? Did he simply like Zhao Yun better than Wei Yan?

But then again, he had never really exchanged enough words with Zhao Yun to form an opinion on him. The two of them had never really had anything that qualified as a real conversation; their interactions had been strictly limited to brief discussions of strategy. And hadn't Zhuge Liang always told Jiang Wei that he should know his officers well, if he hoped to command them effectively?

He sighed and looked at Zhuge Liang's books, still sitting in his lap. He had enough to worry about already. Mastering the strategies he had been entrusted with would be no small task. But he couldn't neglect the other generals and expect them to trust him. After the immediate threat was dealt with--after Sima Yi's frontal assault was repelled--he was going to have to start getting to know his peers.

And he would start with Zhao Yun.


	2. Formation of Opportunity

Author's Note: Nope, no Zhao Yun in this chapter. It's plot, don't shoot me! I wuv Zilong as much as the next person (probably more, actually). He'll be back in the next installment.  
  
This chapter's title was snagged from a section heading in "Mastering the Art of War" by--wait for it--Zhuge Liang! Yep, it's a real book. My copy was translated by Thomas Cleary, and it's a nice edition, so I recommend it. It's rather short, though. I quoted a bit of the book near the end of the chapter; you can probably guess where. I'm thinking of trying to title all the chapters from here on out with headings and phrases from the book, but I dunno how well that'll work out. We shall see.  
  
  
  
Filling the Void  
by Iris Amergin  
  
Chapter Two: Formation of Opportunity  
  
  
  
"Boyue?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"The scouts have reported in." Yue Ying pointed down the road with her spear. "They're coming."  
  
A tingle of excitement ran down Jiang Wei's spine...excitement mixed with dread. Hardly a day had passed since he was given command by Kongming. He would have liked more time to prepare. More time to mourn.  
  
Then again, he would have liked it if Zhuge Liang had not died at all.  
  
He nodded to Yue Ying. "How close are they?"  
  
"Within several li."  
  
"We'll stand our ground here and wait for them."  
  
Ma Chao frowned. "Shouldn't we go intercept them before they reach our camp?"  
  
"No. Under normal circumstances, it would make more sense. But we have to convince them that we're completely sure of victory--that's the entire point of the ploy His Excellency left us to carry out. If we go out to intercept them, it might ruin everything."  
  
"I still don't like the idea of letting them get so close."  
  
"His Excellency was positive that this will scare Sima Yi off," said Jiang Wei firmly. "It'll work. Take your positions." As Ma Chao and Yue Ying left to take their places, he adjusted his grip on his spear and glanced at the soldiers around him. A few whispers hung on the air; soft footsteps sounded here and there as a few nervous soldiers shifted their weight. The handful of sounds only heightened the overwhelming silence.  
  
He looked at the subofficers to each side of him. "When I give the signal, we must let out a war cry--as loud as we can possibly make it." The officers nodded.  
  
Another scout came dashing forward. "They're here!" he gasped.  
  
Jiang Wei raised his fist in the air, and the army roared.  
  
He thought he would be knocked onto his face by the force of the sound. For a fleeting moment, he heard--or did he?--every individual within the clamor--an army of thousands, and yet every one of them seemed sharp and distinct. Thousands of parts of a united whole. For a few seconds, Wu Zhang was engulfed in a living example of the unity of Shu--the unity that would surely lead them to victory, in the end.  
  
And the sound died, and he was jolted back into reality by the sudden silence--a silence that positively terrified him, as seemingly every soldier in the vicinity, his own and Sima Yi's, looked to him, wondering what he would do next. He dropped his fist--the signal for the troops behind him to part ranks, and reveal the most elaborate part of the plan.  
  
Zhuge Liang. Only not quite.  
  
Yue Ying had been assigned to both the handling of her husband's remains, and creating a dummy that would fool Sima Yi from a distance. And from the expressions worn by the Wei army as the Shu soldiers stepped aside, Yue Ying had done well.  
  
Sima Yi went white-knuckled, gripping his fan tightly. "Impossible!" he hissed.  
  
"Stand your ground, rebel!" Jiang Wei shouted with as much courage as he could muster. "You're in my prime minister's hands!"  
  
"Retreat!" Sima Yi shouted, backing away for several steps. He stumbled slightly, and his courage seemed to leave him completely. He turned and fled, leaving his officers to cover his retreat.  
  
Were the situation not so serious, Jiang Wei could have laughed. Zhuge Liang had read the situation perfectly. He leveled his spear at the nearest Wei soldier and thrust forward, catching the man off guard and impaling him through the stomach.  
  
The Wei army lost heart as quickly as their commander had, and the retreat quickly became a free-for-all. As the stragglers disappeared over the hill, Jiang Wei shouted "Don't pursue too far! Fall back over the next two li and return to camp!" The soldiers nearest to him shouted their assent as they chased the Wei soldiers.  
  
Jiang Wei stopped to catch his breath, leaning on his spear. The first part of the plan had gone off without a hitch. All that remained was for Zhao Yun and Wei Yan to carry out the ambush, and although Jiang Wei didn't particularly trust Wei Yan, he was sure that Zhao Yun would not let him down.  
  
One of his officers stopped beside him. "What now, sir?"  
  
"Now...we wait. It's out of our hands." He shook his head. "Let me know the moment we get a report back from the ambush parties. And send Ma Chao and Yue Ying to see me." The officer bowed and strode off.  
  
Gazing at the road ahead, Jiang Wei sighed. Kongming's plan might have worked, but the prime minister had left no instructions as to what actions should be taken after the ambush. The other generals had followed the plan unquestioningly--but of course they would do that, having seen Zhuge Liang's skills demonstrated in battle after battle. Some of Jiang Wei's suggestions might have been worked into the battle plan here and there, but this would be his first major command for Shu. Would they trust him without Zhuge Liang there to back him up?  
  
He shook his head. This certainly wasn't the time to worry about such things--especially not as Ma Chao and Yue Ying were approaching him. He turned his attention to them. "How did your divisions fare?"  
  
"Minimal losses," said Yue Ying. "We took out some of their forces, but not many. They fled too fast for us to make much of a dent in them."  
  
"That was what we were aiming for," said Jiang Wei. "Their morale must have taken a serious hit from this. The ambush should get most of them."  
  
"What now?" asked Ma Chao.  
  
"Clean things up. Get rid of the bodies--ours and theirs. Don't let the men relax too much; we haven't won this battle yet. I'm going to write a letter to the emperor." He didn't wait for a response, but simply turned and began the trek back to his tent.  
  
He had dreaded writing this letter, but as Zhuge Liang's student and successor, it was his duty. Although the ambush preparations had given him an excuse to delay writing it earlier, he couldn't put it off any longer--not in good conscience, anyway. Liu Bei had to be informed of what had just happened, and he needed to know sooner rather than later.  
  
Jiang Wei's tent was situated in the center of the Shu camp, amidst a jungle of supplies, weapons, materials, and other essentials for the siege. He picked his way past bundles of arrows and piles of wood, scowling at the disorganization. Perhaps he should have ordered Ma Chao to detail some men to organize the supplies. And what were the piles of wood for? He couldn't think of any reason to keep them around. Once he finished the letter, he thought, he'd have someone dispose of them.  
  
As he reached his tent, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. The logistics of the battle could wait until he wrote the letter. Settling himself at the table, he pushed aside Zhuge Liang's notes and took a deep breath...held it in, for just a moment...and exhaling, began to write.  
  
To His Majesty, the August Emperor:  
  
It is my sad duty to report to you the death of His Excellency, the prime minister Zhuge Liang.  
  
As I believe Your Majesty is already aware, His Excellency had a strong work ethic--perhaps too strong; he has long been known to work tirelessly even at the cost of his own health. In planning the campaign into Wu Zhang, he had pushed himself even farther than usual, and eight days ago as of my writing, the stress overwhelmed him and Lady Yue Ying pressured him into resting in bed; however, her efforts were too little, too late. His Excellency passed away one week later.  
  
With the last strategy he outlined for us before his death, we should have eliminated a significant portion of Wei's army by dawn tomorrow. He left it to me to carry out the conquest of the north. I will not let Your Majesty down.  
  
He stopped, his eyes flicking back across what he had had written, and frowned. Far from perfect, but it would have to do. As he sealed the letter and set it aside, his gaze strayed to Zhuge Liang's notes, still stacked neatly to one side of the table. He picked them up and began leafing through them. Kongming hadn't left any specific instructions for the rest of the battle, but if he had perhaps written something down, made some maps or sketches--  
  
He paused on what appeared to be a set of schematics. Several diagrams showed instructions for building some sort of large boxlike object out of wood, with a narrow slot running horizontally through the center of one side. A sketch underneath that depicted a series of arrows being shot from the slot.  
  
A slow smile crossed Jiang Wei's face. So that was what the wood was stockpiled for! The device--the sketches labelled it an "arbalest"--could be used to fire ten arrows at once, without exposing archers to enemy fire. Zhuge Liang must have planned to build them for later use in the siege, but had not gotten to it before his death. But since Jiang Wei had the blueprints...  
  
He leapt up and dashed outside to where the wood was stored. At his best estimate, there were enough supplies available to build ten arbalests; perhaps even a few more if they were lucky. He laughed to himself as he returned to his tent, drawing stares from several nearby soldiers. Things were going to get a bit nastier for the Wei army once the arbalests were finished.  
  
He almost felt sorry for Sima Yi.  
  
**********  
  
"Boyue?" Ma Chao poked his head inside the tent. "Scouts are in."  
  
Jiang Wei set aside Kongming's notes and yawned. "I'll be right out." He stretched and got up.  
  
Ma Chao and the scout were waiting directly outside Jiang Wei's tent. The scout bowed. "The ambush went exactly as planned. Sima Yi escaped, but we eliminated half of their force and took only minimal losses."  
  
"Were any of their officers killed?"  
  
"No. But Zhao Yun and Zhang He dueled."  
  
"And?" Jiang Wei said eagerly.  
  
"It was a draw, sir. They both ended with minor injuries."  
  
"I see..." He sighed. "When will our forces return to camp?"  
  
"They should be back tomorrow."  
  
"Good." He turned to Ma Chao. "I'd like you to get some men assigned to cleaning up the camp and organizing the supplies--they've gotten a bit scrambled during the preparations for the last engagement. There's a large stockpile of wood among the supplies--"  
  
"I've noticed that," said Ma Chao. "What's the point of it? Shouldn't we get rid of it?"  
  
"His Excellency's notes contained diagrams of a new weapon to be built with those stockpiles. I want to get construction started tomorrow." He frowned. "Yue Ying usually takes charge of the siege weapons. I plan to delegate the arbalests to her. Could you take her these papers and have her assemble some men and begin working tomorrow?" He held out the arbalest blueprints. "And keep this quiet, if you please. I don't want a word of this to leak to the Wei army."  
  
Taking the papers, Ma Chao nodded and left. Jiang Wei yawned again and returned to his tent.  
  
It was getting late, and he knew he should stop and rest for the night. But to succeed in this campaign, he needed to be as prepared as he could possibly be, and that meant reading all of Zhuge Liang's notes. And after all, hadn't the prime minister stayed up late many a night planning assaults, ignoring his own needs in favor of the greater good?  
  
And that was what got him killed. Don't be stupid, Boyue.  
  
He sighed. Late as it might be, he wanted to finish that night...but as he shuffled the papers, it was rather obvious that finishing everything was going to take a while.  
  
Just a few more pages, he thought. Once I finish this section, I can get some sleep, but I don't want to stop in the middle of it...  
  
He fought back a yawn and continued reading.  
  
In military operations, order leads to victory. If rewards and penalties are unclear, and if signals are not followed, even if you have an army of a million strong, it is of no practical benefit...  
  
His head dropped onto the page. No... he thought sleepily. Need to finish...  
  
But the strategist was fighting a losing battle, and sleep soon overtook him.  
  
  
  



End file.
